Huntdown: Overtime

Swedish developer Easy Trigger are back, once again treating us to a wild mix of 80s vibes, synth-rock, pixel art and neon-lit cosiness. In short, it's a veritable blast of nostalgia. The big question, then, is will this be just more of the same, or is there also a touch of freshness here compared to the now six-year-old original game?

Because even though the framework is the same, much of what made up Huntdown has also changed, for better or worse. With Overtime, they've set about mixing in a fairly hefty dose of roguelite into the mix, and the result is about as brilliant as it is, at times, frustrating. Because when Huntdown: Overtime is at its best, you sit there like a drooling idiot and just love life.

But let's start at the right end. First and foremost, it is once again John Sawyer who takes centre stage. The trigger-happy bounty hunter who lets his shotgun handle the communication with the city's scum, and just like before, it's all about cleaning up the city's lawless swamp, a wild mix of gangsters, madmen, mutants and all manner of thugs.

Pixelated visuals and cheesy descriptions. It's hard not to love it.

And what strikes you almost immediately is just how incredibly satisfying it feels to tear around as Sawyer. The controls are razor-sharp, and every shot feels like a cannon blast. There's a raw brutality here that few other games can match, and you glide effortlessly between cover whilst taking out the scum one by one with a few well-placed shots from your trusty old rifle.

In many ways, it feels like a Cannon film from the 80s, right on a par with American Ninja, Missing in Action or Cobra. In short, it goes all out with pretty much everything. Everything is big, epic and strangely cocky, not least Sawyer himself, who moves with a weight and precision that makes much else feel like molasses by comparison. The response is, in other words, spot on, with an almost delightfully arcade-like fluidity that really does make your knees go weak.

It certainly doesn't hurt that, visually speaking, Overtime is downright stunningly beautiful. Perhaps not quite on the same level as Replaced, but still incredibly charming, with a design language reminiscent of many of the 90s' greatest pixel-art classics. Throw Contra, Metal Slug and Blackthorne into a blender and you'll get pretty close to Overtime. It's clear that Easy Trigger has a great fondness for the action games of that era, at any rate, and every level is bursting with charming details.

The hooligans on the city streets are best dealt with by force.

Easy Trigger also deserves a special mention for the bosses in Huntdown: Overtime, not least that rocking madman Sammy Six Fingers. A guitar-wielding hard rocker you face off against right in the middle of a concert. Yes, it's exactly as daft as it sounds, but I wouldn't expect anything else from Huntdown, and just like the first game, Overtime doesn't take itself seriously at all.

But then there's the whole roguelite setup. Which, to be honest, feels a bit so-so given that the first game was a proper run-and-gun experience, and for those who appreciated the original game as it was, this could very well be a complete deal-breaker. And I get it. The start is very slow, and the first few hours consist of a lot of repetition and a real hamster-wheel feeling.

The rewards between defeats simply don't feel quite as significant as one might have hoped. And even though they do add up after a while, you never get that wow moment where an upgrade takes your gameplay to new heights. Because one thing is clear: Overtime is significantly harder than the first Huntdown, and much more punishing.

"Say hello to my little friend"

The truth is, it can be rather tedious to grind your way through an entire level, only to be utterly crushed by a boss and then get almost nothing out of the effort. But sure, that's part and parcel of the genre, and therein lies that unique appeal that is the so-called claim to fame of roguelite games. You either love it or hate it, and Easy Trigger certainly deserves credit for actually daring to shake things up.

We must also remember that Huntdown: Overtime is, after all, still in Early Access, and is likely to remain so for a long time to come. The team has also been very transparent about the fact that player feedback will be a vital part of how the game is shaped going forward, based on the existing framework. Which gives hope for the future.

Because even if Easy Trigger hasn't quite hit the mark here as they did with the first Huntdown, there's still plenty to love for those who, like yours truly, harbour an almost unhealthy fondness for the 80s and side-scrolling pixel action. Huntdown is rougher around the edges, slightly less polished and, at present, a bit unnecessarily challenging. But it's also delightfully addictive, outrageously beautiful and delivers some seriously intense action, a great soundtrack and loads of attitude. And that goes a long way.